Remember gaming phone maker Black Shark? It just launched a smart ring

Xiaomi-backed Black Shark was one of the few dedicated gaming smartphone brands out there, but it hasn’t released a new gaming phone since 2022. Rumors have been around for years now that the company has shuttered its smartphone business but it never confirmed its exit from the industry. We also reached out to Black Shark over the course of the last two years and haven’t received a response from them. Now, out of the blue, Black Shark has up and launched a smart ring.

The machine translation of Black Shark’s post on Weibo announcing the launch points to a wearable similar to Oura Ring and Galaxy Ring, only much cheaper. The Black Shark ring costs 599primaryn (~$ $82).

Its main purpose seems to be exercise management and health monitoring during sleep. The company’s Weibo posts refer to the ring’s ability to record steps, distance, and energy consumed. Users can choose from three modes — running, walking, and cycling.

The ring’s sleep monitoring feature determines the quality of sleep based on heart rate, HRV, and other parameters. It’s unclear what other health measurements the Black Shark ring can take.

The ring is only 2.2mm thick and promises a battery life of up to 180 days with the included charging case. It’s currently available in China, with no word on a global release. Our guess is if Black Shark has made a smart ring, a Xiaomi-branded version may not be far behind.